Captain's Crossing - The GONG

COURSE OVERVIEW: There will also be course marshals at each significant turn. All 3 courses are off-road and uneven in sections and guaranteed to provide trail runners with an uphill challenge.

3km The Gong Sprint

The Introduction to our trail running series - a taste of what trail running is about. This is for beginners or junior cross country athletes who want to challenge themselves on a fast up-down short course.

Starting at the bend of Pinnacle Septimus Road, athletes will head up Pinnacle Station Road towards Mia Mia State Forest, winding their way up the 8% gradient dirt road, before turning back to the start!

6km The Gong Return

The Intermediate - what goes up, must come down!

Starting at the bend on Pinnacle Septimus Road, athletes will head straight up the first 3km of Pinnacle Station Road towards Mia Mia State Forest. Athletes will hit the top of the Crossing, and head straight back down to the start! Water and lollies will be available here.

14km The Go-Long Gong

A combination of fire road, single trail and creek crossings to test the avid trail runner!

The course starts and finishes the same as the 6km Course, however will continue at the top of the crossing for another 1km prior to heading into old logging roads and single trail terrain. Rolling downhills and punchy ups provides small challenges for any style of runner!

The course will be clearly marked with pink tape, signage, arrows and caution tape once you veer off Pinnacle Station Road.

Rules

In order for our events to run as smoothly as possible we ask all athletes to cooperate and stick to our rules and regulations:

• No rego, No run! – Please respect our event, we have permissions from landowners, local and state authorities and have insurances to cover our athletes. Please do not jeopardise our licences and insurances by running without a registration.
• Timing Chip – Please make sure your timing chip is on your left ankle, this ensures the correct detection of your timing chip by the electronic timing system. The timing chip can not be worn on your wrist or carried in your back pack, this might cause the timing chip to not be picked up by the antenna at the finish line. Please return your timing chip at the end of the run - a fee of $50 will apply to any missing timing chips.
• No shortcuts – please stick to the marked track, for safety and fairness reasons. All courses are clearly marked and we have marshals out on the course.
• Fitness level – please choose the right distance according to your fitness level! This event is not designed to be walked, especially the 14km event (accept a little bit of the uphill). Event officials reserve the right to pull competitors out of the race if they are concerned for their well-being.
• Obey traffic regulations unless otherwise instructed by an event official
• Treat other competitors, officials, volunteers and spectators with respect and courtesy
• Dress Code – please wear appropriate clothing and suitable running shoes

Running Etiquette:

• Be mindful that the trails are open for other users outside of the race, including 4WDs, Motor bikes and MTBs
• Do not leave any rubbish behind, this is a State Forest and Private Lease Area. What you bring in you must take out
• Keep left and give way to runners passing from behind
• Don’t approach any wildlife you may come across on the trails, there is scrub cattle in the area
• STRICTLY NO headphones, so you can hear other trail users around and hear the trail marshals instructions (and cattle)
• Stop and give assistance to other runners if needed. If another competitor falls and injures themselves, it is not an opportunity to pass them. Give assistance and ensure they are ok and send for help. Time considerations will always be given to the ones who stop and assist injured runners.

Series Points

This is the first of 3 events in our 2023 trail running series including:

• Finch Hatton Waterfalls - 27 August
• Eungella Rain Forest - 30 September

Age groups are as follows (as of 31 December 2023):

• Under 16 years
• 16 to 29 years
• 30 to 39 years
• 40 to 49 years
• 50 to 59 years
• 60+

Points are awarded based on the following criteria:

• Athletes receive points for each run. Your total score is the sum of all your attended (and finished) races listed above.
• The winner of each age category will receive 25 points. Each place will receive 2 less points (ie. 2nd place 23 points, 3rd place 21 points etc.).
• Points are calculated separately for men and women

Event Schedule:

Sign in and race chip collection starts from 7.00am at the FINISH/START Line located at the corner of Pinnacle Septimus and Pinnacle Station Roads. Race course briefing will be held 5-10min prior to race start. 14km run starts at 8.00am | 6km run starts at 8.15am | 3km run starts at 8.20am.

The race start is self seeded and we advise the faster runners to position themselves at the front and slower runners at the back. This will help to prevent bottlenecks along the trail and faster runners becoming stuck behind slower runners.

Mandatory Gear:

Please see below for the mandatory gear requirements for the 14km run. Mandatory gear must be carried for the duration of the run, event officials reserve the right to refuse a participant to start the race if they do not comply with mandatory gear requirements. We have marshals on the course and a safety vehicle with additional first aid.

• 2 x compression bandages
• mobile phone (there is limited service along the course) Please download the free EMERGENCY+ app on your phone prior to the event
• Whistle
• Timing Chip
• 500ml of water and snacks (there are basic aid stations, however we recommend runners to be self sufficient).

Categories & Awards:

• Top 3 Male & Female for each distance are awarded at presentation
• Top 3 junior boys and girls (short distance only) are awarded at presentation

Presentation:

Presentation will be held as soon as the Top 3 runners have finished. Prizes will be given to the top 3 runners on the day

Water & Nutrition:

We advise to bring sufficient water for the entire duration of your run. Ensure you take sufficient nutrition with you for the run. Only one water station will be available on course at the 6km turn-around (14km runners will pass this spot twice) however it will be limited due to logistics.

Facilities:

Toilets are not available at the START/FINISH Line. The closest public toilets are located at Gargett Rodeo Grounds. The course runs through Mia Mia State Forest, please ensure you do not litter along the course and respect the reserve.

Finish Line Refreshments:

The Pinnacle Whistlestop Cafe from 6.00am. Pinnacle Family Hotel will be open from 10.00am. Water and fruit will be available at the finish line.

Safety:

The trails include sections of challenging and remote single track, be sure to exercise caution on these sections.

If you DO NOT FINISH the race you must see an event official and return your timing chip. If you do not report to an event official and a search party is sent out, this will be at the competitors cost. It may be hot so please take precautions to stay safe in the heat.

We ask that athletes (and supporters) park parallel on either side of Pinnacle Septimus Road. We ask that you avoid parking near the bend of Pinnacle Septimus or the access road on Pinnacle Station Road.